🥕Public Meeting Notice by U.S. Codex Office on Fresh Produce Standards
The U.S. Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on Feb 5, 2025. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 22nd Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV), which will meet in Mexico City, Mexico, from February 25-March 1, 2025. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 23rd Session of the CCFFV and to address items on the agenda.
Learn More🍗USDA Seeks Comments on Poultry Standards Revisions by 2025
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public comment on revisions to the United States Classes, Standards, and Grades for Poultry (the Poultry Standards). The last minor revision to the Poultry Standards occurred in 2018, but the last substantial revision prior to that occurred in 1998. Since then, poultry production and quality assessment methods have changed significantly, as have consumer preferences.
Learn More🚫Nicaragua Added to Screwworm List
We are advising the public that we have added Nicaragua to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) list maintained on the APHIS website of regions considered affected with screwworm. We took this action because of the confirmation of screwworm in this region.
Learn More📋Call for Nominations for Northern New Mexico Resource Advisory Council
The purpose of this notice is to request public nominations for the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Northern New Mexico Resource Advisory Council (RAC) for terms scheduled to expire. This RAC provides advice and recommendations to the BLM on land use planning and management of the National System of Public Lands within its geographic areas.
Learn More🥙FDA Seeks Information on Poppy Seed Industry Practices and Safety
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is requesting information on industry practices related to poppy seeds, such as information about growing, harvesting, processing, and distribution of poppy seeds, including industry practices to reduce the opiate alkaloid content of poppy seeds. We are taking this action, in part, because we have received reports of adverse events related to the use of some poppy seed products. We intend to use the information to help determine what type(s) of actions, if any, we should take to help ensure that poppy seed products do not pose a health risk when consumed.
Learn More🚨Draft Risk Assessment of PFOA and PFOS in Sewage Sludge Released
As part of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) commitment to safeguarding the environment from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the agency is announcing the availability of the "Draft Sewage Sludge Risk Assessment for Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (PFOS)" for a 60-day public comment period. This draft risk assessment reflects the agency's latest scientific understanding of the potential risks to human health and the environment posed by the presence of PFOA and PFOS in sewage sludge that is land applied as a soil conditioner or fertilizer (on agricultural, forested, and other lands), surface disposed, or incinerated. The draft risk assessment focuses on those living on or near impacted sites or those that rely primarily on their products (e.g., food crops, animal products, drinking water); the draft risk assessment does not model risks for the general public. This draft risk assessment underwent independent external peer review, and the EPA revised the document accordingly. Once finalized, the risk assessment will provide information on risk from use or disposal of sewage sludge and will inform the EPA's potential future regulatory actions under the Clean Water Act (CWA).
Learn More🍊Proposed Increase in Texas Citrus Assessment Rate for 2024-2025
This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Texas Valley Citrus Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2024-2025 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.03 to $0.04 per 7/10-bushel carton or equivalent of oranges and grapefruit grown in Texas. The proposed assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.
Learn More🌾Ratification of H-2A Employment Regulation Impacting Agriculture
The Department of Labor is publishing notification of the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training's ratification of the rule published October 16, 2015, titled Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Foreign Workers in the Herding or Production of Livestock on the Range in the United States.
Learn More✈️FAA Notice
This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Federal Aviation Regulations. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, the FAA's exemption process. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion nor omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.
Learn More🌱EPA Solicits Comments on Clothianidin Exemption for Citrus Growers
EPA has received a specific exemption request from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to use the pesticide clothianidin (CAS No. 210-880-92-5) to treat up to 75,000 acres of immature (3-5 years old) citrus trees to control the transmission of Huanglongbing (HLB) disease vectored by the Asian Citrus Psyllid. The applicant proposes a use that has been requested in 5 or more previous years and for which a complete application for registration or tolerance petition has not been submitted to the Agency. Therefore, EPA is soliciting public comment before making the decision whether or not to grant the exemption.
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